Well, duh: Gaming and gadgets cause sleeplessness, says report

Because today is Obvious News Day, here’s another self-evident nugget of barefaced truthiness: playing games, watching TV, or meddling with gadgets right before you sleep can cost you hours of blissful dozing each week.

Reuters reports that a dependence on televisions, games, cellphones, laptops, and other gadgets can interfere with sleeping habits. Nearly two-thirds of those who use electronic devices in the hour before sleeping admitted to not getting enough sleep (he writes, while typing this up at 1am). That’s instantly recognizable to anyone who habitually plays games late.

This study was conducted by the Washington DC-based National Sleep Foundation, whose vice chairman Russell Rosenborg parped: “Unfortunately, cell phones and computers, which make our lives more productive and enjoyable, may be abused to the point that they contribute to getting less sleep at night leaving millions of Americans functioning poorly the next day.”

And here’s a bunch of other stuff they found out:

♦ Nearly 95 percent of people questioned used some type of electronics in the hour before going to bed
♦ Baby boomers, or people aged 46 – 64 years old, were the biggest offenders of watching television every night before going to sleep.
♦ More than a third of 13 – 18 year-olds and 28 percent of young adults 19 – 29 year olds played video games before bedtime.
♦ 61 percent also said they used a computer or laptop at least a few nights each week.
♦ One in 10 kids report they are being awoken by texts after they have gone to bed.
♦ 13-18 year olds were the most sleep-deprived group, with 22 percent describing themselves as “sleepy” … compared to only nine percent of baby boomers.